How Long Can Your Savings Last Abroad?
Enter your savings, income, and lifestyle. See your exact runway in 74 countries instantly, no account needed.
Your finances
Remote salary, freelance, Social Security, pension: any recurring income. When it covers a country's full cost, that country shows "Indefinite" meaning your savings don't decrease at all.
Two people sharing rent and utilities don't pay double. A couple in most countries spends about 50% more than one person, not 100% more.
Multiplies the baseline monthly cost. If you're not sure, start with Normal. Most first-year expats land between Normal and Comfortable.
Your runway by country
Two Things to Set Up Before You Go
An international bank account and health coverage. Every person moving abroad needs both.
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US health insurance stops at the border. SafetyWing's Nomad Insurance starts at $45/month, covers medical expenses worldwide, and you can cancel anytime with no penalty.
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Living Abroad on Savings: What the Numbers Actually Show
Moving abroad on savings alone is math, not guesswork. A $50,000 nest egg runs roughly 70 months in Egypt, 42 months in Vietnam, or 25 months in Portugal at a normal lifestyle. In the average US city, the same amount covers about 14 months of rent. That gap is the whole point.
Thousands of Americans are quietly making this calculation in their 30s and 40s, not waiting for retirement age. The countries that give you a 3 to 5 year runway at $50k savings are countries where the local middle class also lives well. This isn't a budget-travel strategy. It's a relocation strategy. The 2026 Runway Report takes this further, checking each country's runway against how long Americans may legally stay and how the cheapest destinations score on healthcare and safety.
What Each Input Changes
Your savings sets the starting capital. Monthly income reduces how fast you burn through it. Remote workers earning even $1,000 a month can stretch a $30,000 savings account into indefinite financial independence in the cheapest 10 to 15 countries. When the calculator shows "Indefinite" for a country, your income covers its full cost of living at that lifestyle setting, so savings never decrease. That is not a glitch. It is the goal.
Household size matters because two people sharing rent don't pay double. A couple in Vietnam spends about 50% more than one person, not 100% more. Shared internet, utilities, and often shared transport drop the per-person cost significantly.
The lifestyle multiplier adjusts the baseline monthly cost. Lean (0.75x) means shared accommodation and mostly cooking at home. Normal (1.0x) is the mid-range baseline: a decent apartment, eating out a few times a week, some local travel. Comfortable (1.35x) is a private apartment in a good part of town, regular restaurant meals, and not watching the daily budget closely. Most people moving abroad for the first time land between Normal and Comfortable in the first year.
What These Costs Leave Out
The monthly figures cover rent, food, transport, utilities, and everyday spending. They do not include one-time relocation costs. Expect to spend $2,000 to $5,000 before your first full month begins: flights, a security deposit, visa fees, and any international shipping.
Health insurance is also separate. US coverage does not apply outside the country. Most expats pick up a SafetyWing or similar international policy for $45 to $150 a month depending on age and coverage level. Factor it into your real monthly cost.
Finding the Right Country, Not Just the Cheapest One
A country that gives you 5 years of runway on paper might be wrong for other reasons: climate, language barrier, slow internet, or a lifestyle that doesn't match what you're looking for. The Country Match Quiz pairs you with countries based on safety, healthcare, English proficiency, and personal lifestyle fit. Running both tools gives you a complete picture: which countries you can afford, and which ones you'll actually want to live in.
Frequently Asked Questions
The calculator multiplies a country's baseline monthly cost by your lifestyle factor (Lean 0.75x, Normal 1.0x, Comfortable 1.35x), then subtracts your monthly income. That gives your net monthly burn rate. Dividing your savings by that number gives your runway in months.
Countries in the green section are ones where your monthly income equals or exceeds the cost of living at your chosen settings. Your savings are not touched at all there. That is financial independence in that location. These countries are better than any runway number below them, because your savings grow or stay flat rather than depleting.
Yes. The figures are all-in monthly estimates covering rent, food, transport, utilities, and everyday spending. They reflect a realistic mid-range lifestyle, not a backpacker budget or a luxury expat setup.
Lean (0.75x) is shared housing plus home cooking. Normal (1.0x) is a realistic mid-range baseline that matches how most first-year expats actually live. Comfortable (1.35x) is a private apartment, dining out several times a week, and not watching daily costs closely. If unsure, start with Normal and adjust from there.
Yes. The monthly income field accepts any recurring income: remote salary, freelance revenue, Social Security, pension, or investment distributions. Even a modest $1,000 a month dramatically extends your runway in cheaper countries, often pushing them into "Indefinite" territory.